Updated: Ordinance Allowing Marijuana Licenses In Township Set For Council Introduction

Update 2: The Township Council gave unanimous final approval to the ordinance at its June 22 virtual meeting. There was no discussion on the measure by Council members.

Update: The Township Council introduced the ordinance unanimously. A public hearing and final adoption vote is set for the May 25 Council meeting.

Original Story: Marijuana stores would be legal wherever retail sales are allowed in the township under an ordinance set to be introduced at the Township Council’s May 11 meeting.

The ordinance would also set the operating hours for the marijuana marts at from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m., the same as for liquor stores in Franklin.

Council members at the March 23 meeting signaled that they would be in favor of allowing all six of the cannabis license types available since the state government legalized the recreational sale and use of marijuana for those 21 years and older.

Town governments in the state have until August 22 to regulate or prohibit the licenses within their borders. Failure to do so will automatically allow the growing, cultivating, manufacturing, selling and reselling of
cannabis and cannabis items in industrial zones, and allow the retail sales of those items as a conditional use in all retail and commercial zones.

Under the proposed ordinance, the retail sale of marijuana would be allowed in the Neighborhood
Business, General Business, Hamilton Business District and Retail District Overlay zones.

Aside from retail, the other license types that would become available under the ordinance are Cultivation, Manufacturing, Wholesaling, Distribution and Delivery Service. The latter five uses would be allowed in the township Business and Industry Zone.

Delivery service licenses would be allowed in the retail zones if the delivery service was tied to a marijuana retail store.

The ordinance would also impose a 2 percent tax on sales of cannabis by a cannabis cultivator to another cannabis
cultivator, sales of cannabis items from one cannabis establishment to another cannabis establishment, and sales of cannabis items by a cannabis retailer to consumers.

The ordinance would impose a 1 percent transfer tax on sales by cannabis wholesalers located in Franklin Township.

The Council meets virtually at 7 p.m. Access to the meeting can be gained through the township’s web site.

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